Applications

Applications for the masters degree have finally opened.

Whilst this is a very good thing, I’ve now a tiny little ball of nervousness hovering around me. It’s good that this is there, because I think that if you care about something then you will get nervous about it because it is something you actually want and you want it to go well.

So I have a list of things to complete:

Online application form

Write supporting statement

Upload degree certificate as proof of degree

Re-write CV as it hasn’t been updated in two years (since I got my librarians job)

Get two references

The online application form is mostly data, only a couple of bits that aren’t straight forward, so that takes very little time, just fact checking.

Only 300 words for the supporting statement, but this is causing me the most worry since it is the primary shot I have to really sell it to the applications team that I deserve a place on the course.

Already scanned in and uploaded my degree certificate, as that was the easiest part of the whole process.

Found my CV, and I’ve been sprucing it up. Sketching it out, I can re-use about half of it, but I need to re-write the personal, previous employment and hobbies sections, and add in a brand new section called Membership. I’ve never had this section before, but being a member of the professional body of information professionals, or CILIP, is definitely an advantage and something to go onto the CV.

My two references are probably going to take the longest, just because I have to rely on other people. However, I have emailed my university academic advisor and he remembers me, which is an excellent start, and then I just need one from my current employers, which my boss is more than happy to provide. So the balls are already rolling, they just need to come back to me.

So a list of things to do, most of which is half started and in draft form. I just need to finish it all, polish it, and spend the time that it takes my references to come in hunting up any additional activities or courses I’ve done that might aid me in this application.